Know it's old but I love playing this game. Who have been our top five managers

[Londonvilla]

I know it's old but I love playing this game. Who have been our top five managers of all time? For me it has to be:

1)   Ron Saunders – never smiled, mad as a box of frogs, walked out on the club to go to our rivals, love him

2)   Tony Barton – the quiet man who won the European cup and the super cup and lost in the world club championship a true gent

3)   Graham Taylor – we were in the middle of the second division and looking certainties for a relegation fight when Sir Graham turned up on his white horse and saved us. God knows where we would be now if he did not come along.

4)   Brian Little – great player who was going nowhere as a manager until he decided to play Tommy Johnson in the hole, behind two strikers away at West Ham, the rest is history I enjoyed every moment of this legends  time at Villa Park

5)   Ron Atkinson – there was a time when we used to beat the likes of the sky 4 on a regular basis, this was a time where I went to Villa games with expectation rather than hope. The man is now paying the price for being a better football manager then he was a human being and it's a shame his legacy will revolve around his race, comments when Louis Suarez gets away with it.

Special mention to John Gregory who had me convinced for a season  that we would under his leadership  win the league and to Martin O'Neill who convinced me every season that we would get into the champions league until we reached March when he would put up the white flag and surrender.

Surely you agree with my top five?

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I bet George Ramsey is spinning in his grave.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

George Ramsay, no contest.

[Villan For Life]

As much as Tony Barton was Villa through and through, it was Ron Saunders' squad that he inhertited.  History will show that he won a European Cup but I don't think that he can be considered to be one of our top five managers. Saunders team was such a well drilled unit that they'd have carried on for the rest of the 1981/82 season without too many hiccups.

I'd consider adding Vic Crowe to the list, he started the renaissance that culminated in that wonderful night in Rotterdam.

I mean no disrespect to Tony, ultimately he was in charge on the best night of my Villa supporting life and for that he will always be held in the highest regard. But one of our top five managers? No.

[nigel]

I've only gone for managers in my life time.

1/ Has to be Ron Saunders
2/ Graham Taylor, had he not gone to England, who knows what would have happened. I believe, as a coach, he was years ahead, which was why he failed at England.
3/ Tony Barton. Yes, he inherited Saunders squad. Yes, they were a well drilled team, but that team still had to be led.
I don't beleive for one minute had another manager been in charge, say McNeil or Turner, we'd have lifted those 2 trophys. Remember, too, it was Ellis' vanity that stopped Tony building on that.
4/ Brian Little with John Gregory as head coach.
5/ Vic Crowe. As you say, Villan for life, probably started it all. Was manager when I first started going.

 

[Ron Manager]

1. Ron Saunders  The finest manager who ever drew breath.
2. Ron Atkinson   Played football the way it should be played
3. Joe Mercer  Put the kids in at an early age. Had terrible luck with injuries
4. Vic Crowe An intelligent organiser got the best out of his players
5. Tommy Docherty. For six months in 1969 he brought glamour to the historic stadium bought good players too and made us feel special. It didnt last too long but while it did it was fantastic

[Legion]

In no particular order:

Sir GT Mk I
George Ramsay
Ron Saunders
Tony Barton
Vic Crowe

[PeterWithesShin]

In no particular order:

Sir GT Mk I
George Ramsey
Ron Saunders
Tony Barton
Vic Crowe

Do you mean Ramsay?

[Legion]

I might do...

[PeterWithesShin]

I've gone purely for managers in my time

1) Ron Saunders
2) Sir Graham Taylor
3) Brian Little
4) Tony Barton
5) Ron Atkinson

[Legion]

I've gone purely for managers in my time

1) Ron Saunders
2) Sir Graham Taylor
3) Brian Little
4) Tony Barton
5) Ron Atkinson

Those would be mine aswell, under that criteria.

[nigel]

1. Ron Saunders  The finest manager who ever drew breath.
2. Ron Atkinson   Played football the way it should be played
3. Joe Mercer  Put the kids in at an early age. Had terrible luck with injuries
4. Vic Crowe An intelligent organiser got the best out of his players
5. Tommy Docherty. For six months in 1969 he brought glamour to the historic stadium bought good players too and made us feel special. It didnt last too long but while it did it was fantastic

I've often wondered what would have happened had Docherty not been sacked (was that Ellis too?)
For one, we wouldn't have had the Vic Crowe era